I had posted my comments about the season premiere of “Lost” (and the series generally) on David Bianculli’s website/blog, “TV Worth Watching,” which I’ll link here, and re-post below, for Triscribers’ reading pleasure! Be warned – I rambled a bit, but generally, I really enjoyed the season premiere (even if it was a little boring with the alternate universe thing). Also, Bianculli has a good review on NPR – essentially noting that those who are waiting until the series is over and then watch it all on DVD are missing the fun.
I enjoyed the season premiere for balancing the tension and humor (Hugo was funny and sweet; Sawyer’s rage against Jack was so raw).
Otherwise, I was left a little confused (as usual). The “alternate” (?) timeline at LAX airport was a little boring to me, and I wonder if this will be kept up for the rest of the season.
But, the nuances were interesting to look for: Jack seems to be a little more positive and kinder in the “alternate” time; even “alternate” John Locke seems more vibrant than his sad sack self of the main timeline; plus the return of Boone (how poignant that he tells alternate Locke that he’d stick with him if they were stuck on an island; main timeline Boone wasn’t so lucky, after all, in sticking with main timeline Locke), Charlie, and Claire!; and what is Desmond doing…?
Terry O’Quinn as “alternate” John Locke and the fake John Locke (a.k.a., Jacob’s enemy) – what an acting power! He pulled off essentially two characters, and it was fantastic to watch.
I’m not a big serious “Lostie” – I am much more of a casual fan/viewer. I empathize a little with those who gave up with watching and I understand that some were disappointed that “Lost” seemed too convoluted or uninteresting as sci-fi/fantasy or has too many plot holes; but I appreciate that the series has been a fun watch to me. Personally, I was more bored back in Season 2 when it didn’t go into the sci-fi/fantasy stuff and it felt like the writers were running out of ideas. The creative energy has been in place since showrunners Cuse/Lindelof made the decision to keep “Lost” to a deadline, and it sizzles.
Not every series get that chance to make such a risky decision, and some series – well, I think they should have done that before they lost their creativity (pardon me if I can’t quite give specific examples off the top of my head at the moment).
Generally, I think there are a lot of different aspects to “Lost” to enjoy or consider – I found empathy with the complex relationships that the characters have with their parents (Jack and his father; John Locke and his parents; poor Daniel Faraday and his mother); the love stories that did work were compelling (Desmond and Penny’s ultimate episode, where Penny is Desmond’s constant; Sawyer and Juliet finding their version of a decent life among the Dharma Initiative; the love and life that Rose and Bernard shared; the tragedy of Daniel and Charlotte – that was just sad how time traveling can really mess things up); and the weirdness – there’s not much on tv that takes as much pleasure in the weird as “Lost” does.
I’m not a fan of time traveling stories generally, but “Lost” pulled me into how much emotional toil time travel puts on those stuck in time – so “Lost” made the time traveling fascinating, even if I might gnash my teeth over how it drives me crazy!
It’s possible that some mysteries might never be quite solved – I’m more okay with that than I expected, since the journey has been such an entertaining ride.
No show is completely perfect; what really matters is whether we’re entertained and get something worthwhile out of it. To me, I want a well-done show, visually and emotionally; packed with plots and characters and heart; and writers who seem to be into what they’re doing in a positive way – that seems to be what “Lost” has been. I find myself caring about the characters, the conflicts, and the questions, even if I’m not as rabid or dedicated to figuring everything out about “Lost.”
So, I think “Lost” is worth watching; looking forward to seeing what’s next – and feeling a little sad already that the crazy ride that “Lost” is coming to an end soon.